Anti-theft device for motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

This anti-theft device consists of an elastic member ending with a soft ball, which is provided with a flexible metal net. By means of a bar, to which the other end of the said member is attached, this device can be fixed in a detachable way to the steering wheel.

United States Patent [1 1 Stoyanovitch [451 July 3, 1913 ANTI-THEFTDEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES [76] Inventor: Dragoslav S. Stoyanovitch,Feldb erg Str. 22, 78 Freiburg-Hasloch, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 11,1970 [21] Appl. No.: 65,633

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 1, 1969 Germany P 19 44299.0

[52] US. Cl. 70/209, 70/225 [51] Int. Cl. B60r 25/02 [58] Field ofSearch 70/18, 175, 209, 70/225, 237; 74/495 [5 6] References Cited 1UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,462,982 8/1969 Moore 70/209 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 106,072 3/1967 Denmark 70/209 1,127,524 9/1968 GreatBritain 70/209 1 Primary Examiner-Albert G. Craig, Jr.

A homey-Robert S. Swecker [5 7 ABSTRACT This anti-theft device consistsof an elastic member ending with a soft ball, which is provided with aflexible I metal net. By means of a bar, to which the other end of thesaid member is attached, this device can be fixed in a detachable way tothe steering wheel.

6 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures ANTI-THEFT DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLESBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a locking devicewith the purpose to prevent the theft and the unauthorized use of motorvehicles having a steering wheel, by limiting the" turning of thesteering whee-l.

The said device consists of an elastic member, of which an end carries aball made of a soft material and which can be provided with a flexiblemetal net. With the other end, this device is firmly attached to a barand by means of the said bar it can be fixed in a detachable way to thesteering wheel, respectively between the steering wheel and the steeringcolumn.

Attached to a bar, this device is substantially longer than the diameterof the steering wheel to which it is to be applied. The bar, to whichthe said device is attached, in use as anti-theft device is fixed in adetachable way to the steering wheel but not attached or anchored to anyother part of the motor vehicle. When the said bar is fixed to thesteering wheel, the rotation of the steering wheel is limited to onlythat amount of rotation which can be obtained before one of the saidballs comes into contact with a fixed part of the driving compartment orwith the driver.

THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, it will bedescribed'by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: I FIG. 1shows a side view of a long bar with two elastic members-(parts), eachcarrying a ball;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the device as drawn in FIG. 1, which isfixed at two spokes of the steering wheel;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the same device, which is fixed between twoopposite points of the steering wheel;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the same device, which is fixed between aspoke and the opposite point of the steering wheel;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a long bar consisting of two parts providedfor to be connected together in a detachable way, with the elasticmembers runing downwards;

' FIG. 6 shows a long bar with both ends bent, provided for to be fixedto the steering wheel by which the spokes do not run in a straight line;

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the device provided for to be fixed to onlya spoke of the steering wheel;

FIG. 8 shows a sideview of the device as drawn in FIG. 7, which is fixedto the steering wheel;

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the device provided for to be fixed betweena spoke of the steering wheel and the steering column; I

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the device as drawn in FIG. 9, which isfixed between the steering wheel and the steering column;

FIG. 1 1 shows a cross sectional view through two differently shapedballs, the first provided with a flexible metal net, which islodged'under-neath the exteriorbe provided with a flexible metal net 9lodged underneath the exterior layer of the said soft'material, with thepurpose to prevent any malevolent damage of the said ball 3 and so ofthe interior of the car when the steering wheel is turning with thedevice fixed on it.

In order to be fixed in a detachable way to the steering wheel, thisdevice can be firmly attached either to a long bar 1,

or to a short bar 7,

or to a short bar 8 with an end being bent downwards.

When firmly attached to the said long bar 1, which is provided with twotwo-armed hooks 4,5, of which one provided with a locking mechanism 6and attached to the said long bar 1 in a movable way, this device can befixed in a detachable way to the steering wheel A either to two spokesB, as shown in FIG. 2,

or between two opposite points of the steering wheel A, as shown in FIG.3, or between a spoke B and the opposite point of the steering wheel A,as shown in FIG. 4.

The above described device will be fixed to the steering wheel A asfollows: the book 5 with the locking mechanism 6 will be pushed inwards,the device will be put from above to the steering wheel A so that twohooks 4,5 clamp round at the same time two spokes B and the steeringwheel A, as shown in FIG. 2, resectively two opposite points of thesteering wheel A, as shown in FIG. 3, respectively a spoke B and theoppo-- site point of the steering wheel A, as shown in FIG. 4; the hook5 provided with the locking mechanism 6 will be pulled outwards andlocked. The device is fixed to the steering wheel and cannot be removedwithout the key.

When firmly attached to an end of a short bar 7,

which is provided with a two-armed hook 4 and a locking mechanism 6,both firmly attached to the said bar 7, this device can be fixed in adetachable way to only one spoke B of the steering wheel A, as shown inFIG. 8.

In order to be fixed, this device has to be put from above to thesteering wheel A so that the hook 4 and the locking mechanism 6 clampround at the same time one spoke B and the steering wheel A, and thelocking mechanism 6 has to be locked.

When firmly attached to a short bar 8, which is provided with atwo-armed hook 4 and a locking mecha- I nism 6, the other end of thesaid bar 8 being bent downwards, this device can be fixed in adetachable way between a spoke B of the steering wheel A and thesteering colomn C, as shown in FIG. 10.

In order to be'fixed, the said device has to be put from below to thesteering wheel A, so that the hook 4 clamps round a spoke B of thesteering wheel A and the locking mechanism 6 has to be locked around thesteering colomn C.

For an easier storage of this device in the car, while not in use, thelong bar 1 can consist also of two parts connected in a detachable way,as shown in FIG. 5.

For the steering wheel with the spokes which do not run in a straightline, the long bar 1 can be bent at both ends, as shown in FIG. 6.

In order to make possible that this device can be fixed to the steeringwheel without any difficulty, the hooks 4,5 can be attached-to the saidbars 1,7,8 in a movable way, so that they canbe turned to the right andto the left.

The hooks 4,5 can be also made with only an arm, as shown in FIG. 5.

The elastic parts and the balls have the function to prevent damage ofthe inside of the car in case of the rotation of the steering wheel withthe said device fixed a on it; the flexible metal net which is lodgedunderneath the exterior layer of the soft material, of which are madethe balls, has to prevent the thief to cut off the said ball and then todamage the interior of the car while turning the steering wheel.

The advantage of this invention consists firstly in a seeing effect withthe purpose to warn the possible thief that it will be nearly impossibleto steal the car and so to discourage him not even to attempt to breakinto the car, and secondly the said device, which has to be made veryrobust, has for purpose to prevent-the turning of the steering wheel andaccordingly the driving of the car, if the thief succeed to enter thecar and to start the motor.

What I claim is: 1. An anti-theft apparatus for motor vehiclescomprising:

an elongate rigid member; attachment means disposed on said rigid memberfor detachably engaging a portion of a motor vehicle steering wheelassembly;

an elongate flexible member connected to said rigid member andprojecting outwardly from an end of said rigid member;

a ball member connected to said elongage flexible member and spacedoutwardly from said rigid member; and locking means cooperable with saidattachment means for selectively securing said rigid member to a portionof the motor vehicle steering wheel assembly whereby when said rigidmember is affixed to a steering wheel assembly by said attachment meansand said locking means, said elongate flexible member and said ball member cooperate to engage said ball member with either an occupant or asurface of the motor vehicle to impair a rotation of the steering wheeland thereby prevent theft of the motor vehicle.

2. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said attachmentmeans comprises means for affixing said rigid member to a spoke on themotor vehicle steering wheel.

3. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said attachmentmeans comprises means for affixing said rigid member to a steeringcolumn portion of said motor vehicle steering wheel assembly.

4. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said affixingmeans passes completely around the motor vehicle steering column 5. Ananit-theft apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ball member isdisposed around a metallic net attached to said elongate flexible meansfor preventing a removal of said ball member from said apparatus.

6. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rigidmember comprises a plurality of short rigid members which are detachablyinterconnectable.

1. An anti-theft apparatus for motor vehicles comprising: an elongaterigid member; attachment means disposed on said rigid member fordetachably engaging a portion of a motor vehicle steering wheelassembly; an elongate flexible member connected to said rigid member andprojecting outwardly from an end of said rigid member; a ball memberconnected to said elongate flexible member and spaced outwardly fromsaid rigid member; and locking means cooperable with said attachmentmeans for selectively securing said rigid member to a portion of themotor vehicle steering wheel assembly whereby when said rigid member isaffixed to a steering wheel assembly by said attachment means and saidlocking means, said elongate flexible member and said ball membercooperate to engage said ball member with either an occupant or asurface of the motor vehicle to impair a rotation of the steering wheeland thereby prevent theft of the motor vehicle.
 2. An anti-theftapparatus according to claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprisesmeans for affixing said rigid member to a spoke on the motor vehiclesteering wheel.
 3. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1 whereinsaid attachment means comprises means for affixing said rigid member toa steering column portion of said motor vehicle steering wheel assembly.4. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said affixingmeans passes completely around the motor vehicle steering column.
 5. Ananti-theft apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ball member isdisposed around a metallic net attached to said elongate flexible meansfor preventing a removal of said ball member from said apparatus.
 6. Ananti-theft apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rigid membercomprises a plurality of short rigid members which are detachablyinterconnectable.